Growth and production of common bean fertilized with biochar

Abstract

Production of biochar from organic wastes promises to be an interesting source of plant nutrients, thus reducing pressure on natural resources. To assess the effect of biochar prepared from wastes filtration materials on the growth and production of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), three simultaneous greenhouse experiments were conducted with three different biochar from organic wastes (rice husk, sawdust, and sorghum silage) using as filtration material for swine biofertilizer. In each experiment the treatments consisted of the addition of five different biochar concentrations (0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10% v/v), arranged in a completely random design, with four repetitions. Application of biochar increased the root dry mass, shoot dry mass, grain dry mass, number of pods and number of grains. These results indicated that biochar contributed significantly to the growth and production of common bean plants.

Phosphorus availability in soil amended with biochar from rice rusk and cattle manure and cultivated with common bean

“…The effects of biochars on increasing soil pH are related to the ash produced during the pyrolysis process (Steenari;Karlsson, Lindqvist, 1999;Glaser;Zech, 2002;Silva et al, 2017). Ashes are rich in bases, such as potassium carbonate (KHCO 3 ) and calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ), which act as soil acidity correctives and raise the exchangeable base contents (Domingues et al, 2017).…”

“…To eliminate the interference of phosphorus and other elements in the determination of silicon, organic acids, such as tartaric and oxalic acids, are generally added (Nolla et al, 2010). In the phosphorus analysis, ascorbic acid is used as a reducing agent for the phosphate reaction with molybdate in an acid medium (Santos;Silva;Griebeler, 2014).…”

“…Some authors have verified the increase in the availability of phosphorus in soils fertilized with biochar and these increase in phosphorus might be associated with the soluble silica present in the biochars ashes (Liu et al, 2014) and in raising the pH and cation exchange capacity of acidic soils with capacity for phosphorus fixation (Silva et al, 2017;Zelaya et al, 2019). This effect of biochars on the phosphorus availability is important especially in highly weathered and acidic soils where a strong interaction between phosphate anions (H 2 PO 4 and HPO 4 2-), iron and aluminum oxyhydroxides happens, decreasing phosphorus availability in the plants with time (Yuan;Xu, 2012;Abdala et al, 2015).…”

“…Thus, the effects of biochar on the availability of phosphorus in the soil are especially important because the natural sources of this nutrient are non-renewable, finite and must be exhausted in the next 50-100 years (Cordell;Drangert;White, 2009). Some authors have reported significant increases in the availability of phosphorus in soils fertilized with biochar (Silva et al, 2017;Zelaya et al, 2019), but the mechanisms that justify these increases are not clear enough.…”

Biochar in sugar beet production and nutrition

“…Effects of biochars on plant metabolism (HAIdeR et al, 2015;VIGeR et al, 2015), in some groups of soil microorganisms (SpokAS et al, 2010, SoNG et al, 2016 and in root respiration (RAzAq et al, 2017) are possible explanations for the highest occurrence of fine roots in biochar treatments. Also the improvement of the chemical and physical soil properties by biochar have an effect on the number and morphology of the fine root (AMENDOLA et al, 2017;SILVA et al, 2017). Fine roots, stimulated by biochars, can alter the carbon cycle, soil microbial activity, fertilizer efficiency and water and nutrient uptake by plants (MANIkANdAN & SUBRAMANIAN, 2013;YANGzHoU et al, 2017).…”